Viking23

I couldn't think of anything to say, but I wondered if your boat registration number was 36C or something like that. lol...

I like the idea of a water meter, if there was a digital one at the right price, with a reset to zero each time, then that would be better. We have a flexible 100 litre water tank, and also a 45 litre aquaflow tank. We can easily select which tank to draw from, at the turn of a ball valve, so we carry a reserve.which is enough for two to three showers, and a days washing up. Drinking water (inc water for tea) on the other hand is from several 5 litre water carriers, having looked inside an old flexible tank, we don't fancy drawing from that. A mod we made to our outboard powered cruiser, is a stern step, that fits to the stern above the outboard, it has two fenders, and allows us to stern moor and alight over the stern yet still protect the engine. To save paying additional mooring fees back at the home mooring, the step can be attached in only a couple of minutes. In fact once at Ranworth, we fitted it whilst reversing into a mooring. This step has allowed us to sneak into gaps at Ranworth, Wroxham, just above the bridge, and other locations like Womack water and similar places. We are no longer limited to only linear mooring locations. Since we only have a beam of 7' we can also nip in, stern first to collect friends from ashore between moored boats, a sort of touch and go technique. lol.

The BSS accept outboard engines complete with manufacturers supplied fuel hose and portable fuel tank. They of course check the lines for damage and deterioration. They also accept the cable size used for electric starting, that connects to the battery etc, even though it might be less than 25 mm2. So shouldn't they accept the fuel lines etc on inboard engines in the same way, especially if they have CE or appropriate approval? Provided that they have not been modified later of course.

Just heard on the grapevine that the latest Broadcaster is available. http://html5.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/default.aspx?pubname=Broadcaster&pubid=d55702b1-4b67-415b-ae69-0ad00f49e71f

Expensive, but you don't need much. I bought the same stuff from Norfolk Marine. I put mine in at the end of the season, and when I started my outboard a couple of weeks ago, it started first time, and I was able to put the choke in straight away. It ran beautifully. In the past, I used to blend the old fuel with new fuel, in the ratio of 1:3 and that seemed to be ok, but the additive is so much simpler. Also be aware, that some riverside petrol retailers buy their fuel when ever... and when I enquired once on the Northern broads, I was told the fuel I was buying was from a batch 18 months old. doh...

Looks easier than holding it over the bannister and shaking the heck out of it. The last time I did the boat one, I actually went into the cover, head and shoulders as well... Thanks for sharing.

Take time to think about this... If you think that to drive safely on country lanes, ie to be able to stop in the distance you can see, and safely stop, then think again... If the vehicle coming the other way is driving as slow as you, then when you see them, you both have to stop in that same distance, that you thought you could stop in. So if the road is too narrow for two vehicles to pass, then a collision is inevitable, and unavoidable. You need to be able to stop in half the distance you can see. Now if the driver coming the other way is driving faster than you... you have even less space to stop in... Hmmm... On our country lanes, we assume there is a horse in the middle of the road around the next corner... as most of the time there is. Add to that the pot holes hidden at the fringes, and freshly cut hawthorn twigs, you soon realise that country lanes are not that good after all.

And photos, videos, and signed witness statements would help in getting rid of them too. It also appears that "no navigation" lights was a factor in this, so navigators be aware. So keep those cameras handy, take pics with and without flash might differentiate between navigation lights on, or off. Lets keep our broads safe.

The point is, the pilot has probably taken three or four smaller boats through in the previous hour. He would know the effect of tide wind and current, so in effect he would have had three or four trial runs prior to this. So we shouldn't underestimate our own ability. If you knew how the flow was running, then you would adjust your approach accordingly. When we approach the bridge, we assess the clearance from what we see, and often I will obseve other boats going through, to help me decide. The worst approach we had, was we were coming down from Martham, last summer, with a strong wind and tide behind us, high water, no other boats coming through, and there were 10" high waves (peak to trough) too. That was tight. The problem with taking your own boat through, is having to live with any scratches or damage, but if the pilot takes it through... they are insured.... The pilots do a very good job, but in the end, it is their decision as to when or if the boat can go through... After all, they pay the insurance premium. I love Potter Heigham bridge, I love the peace and quiet on the other side. It should stay. Maybe consider opening up more of the other broads, to boat traffic.

When I spoke to the BSS regarding the RCDs if fitted in a boat, it would require that the examiner would require some expensive test equipment to measure the time and currents to test the trips. Some thing that would make the test more complex, and require further training and cost. Instead they opt for a visual inspection, to make sure that any exposed pins can never be live, and there is no way that the output of an inverter can be switched into an already live circuit, and vice versa. I personally believe that fuel powered generators provide the bigest risk, as how many people will install a bank side earth, which could be a length of copper plated earth rod hammered into the ground. Then there are issues with storage of fuel, ie petrol etc

Of course us guys know how to use a washing machine, and an iron, and a dishwasher, it's just that we don't want to look too efficient, or we'll end up with the job. Now putting the wifes tights with my work clothes and the whites in the same wash is a sure guarantee that you won't be asked to do them again. Also woolens on a hot wash, great if you want them to shrink... With my ropes, I use a couple of cable ties after coiling the rope, saves a massive tangle, also re knitting, most of us have also learnt how to splice a loop onto the end of a rope. We are also able to light the barbeque, cremate steaks and consume vast amount of beer and lager. How difficult can using home appliances be... I mean... ***** can do it. I chickened out writing the word above... after all I want to eat tonight... lol Also on the canals, men have proven without doubt that getting a boat into a lock is a very difficult task, that is best done by men. This leaves the less technical, but more strenuous task of operating the locks to the women...

I have the Aldi one, and to be fair it gets a fair bit of use, as it is now one of my preferred saws in the tool box. The only issue is, the blades are expensive and don't last that long. I recently used it to cut plaster and plasterboard to recess some central heating pipes and it was fantastic, no wonder it wrecks the blades... I have also cut some corrugated clear plastic roofing panels, I used the semi circular cutting blade and it cut without chipping unlike a jig saw blade. However when cutting plastic, it does tend to melt the plastic on the edge, but easily removed. Cutting wood in situ is it's greatest asset, as you can cut squarely to a wall. For those DIY'ers that haven't used one, try one, you'll soon wonder how you have managed all these years without it.

An 800w microwave is probably describing the output power used for heating the food. The actual consumption from the supply will be greater than this, a minimum of 1000w and close to 1500w. There will also be a surge, or starting current, so a much larger inverter is required than the one you have. In addition, microwaves work better with a sine wave, which can make an inverter very expensive. You can of course use an electric generator, however if this is petrol powered, then it has to be stored and used in a safe manor, including the storage of petrol, and ventilation for exhaust fumes. Refilling a hot petrol generator is not without it's risk, from spilled vapours and the high risk of explosion. There was a recent explosion on a boat on the inland waterways recently.

Another point regarding shore power, you can't always guarantee that here will be a vacant mooring at the shore power point, let alone there will be a vacant socket. So as suggested an alternative power supply would be better for your application. It might be worth considering a second battery, and maybe a decent charger so that when you do get onto shore power, you can charge your batteries. Enjoy your boat.

To keep with the Broads topics, how about "Changeover Saturday" lol

Most of the supermarkets sell the same basic products, but some supermarkets decide to sell it for more. You get exactly the same thing, just for a higher price. You don't see people shopping in Waitrose when it's quiet.... it's the sort of shop that people have to be seen in... Then there are the Aldi and Lidl, started off with basic low cost products, but now the quality is as good, and often better than the middle ground supermarkets. I think we know where some of the broads boatyards are. Some of the budget brand boat yards, are producing bigger and better boats than the Waitrose of this world. The advantage is, if you cater for all markets, you will always have some business somewhere. If the interest rates go up to 10 or 15% then the high end market is the first that will be hit first.

With ipad, the on off button should be on the right, ie same as power plug, lock screen this way around, should be fine. I have same problem with stored pics, I prefer switch on the left, always looks ok on the ipad though.

Ahh but.... Have you still got it lol?

All great advice, we used high temperature spray glue, but don't use it in a confined space, but if you have to, you should use a suitable respirator, suitable for the type of glue used. We sealed the ply on both sides and the edges with a couple of coats of thinned varnish, opportunity to use up any old stock you have in your cupboard. If you are certain that you can use the old ply as a template, then personally I would work at home with more elbow room. Rough cut the vinyl, then leave flat in a warmed room for any creases to fall out. However, measure the thickness of the new vinyl compared to the old, and if thicker, you might need to trim the ply smaller to compensate. When spraying the ply and the vinyl, work in small areas, I started from the middle, working outwards, then pull back the vinyl, spray a new area, wait ... then smooth out the next section... When you get to the end, go back to the middle then pull back vinyl and spray the next section etc until you get to that end. This way will help to reduce getting any creases in the vinyl. Then you can work on folding over the edges etc. Personally I would start on the smallest panel , and budget for at least one error, as if you try to remove the vinyl after gluing, you will stretch it, and it will be difficult to refit it without creases. This is only my advice from experience of similar fitting as an enthusiastic DIY'er. Please feel free to comment on any improvements, or alternatives to the above. Edit to add.. I also took the opportunity to line the roof with silvered bubble wrap, as seen in Wickes, you could apply to the other side of the ply, silver side to the interior. Use the same glue too, but less of it, maybe only the edges if applied to the ply. This will add a few mm to the ply thickness, so you might need to allow for this. Good luck, Richard

Numax do 1000 CCA here is just one link to one possible supplier so you can get an idea what can be purchased. I cannot say how good the company is, but Numax batteries are generally good. Prices under £100 too. https://advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/numaxdualpurposeleisurebatteries Hope it helps, Richard

Now you mention it... http://youtu.be/-rfQawMb8wo Maybe not quite as busy lol...

Have a look here.. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum-air_battery It uses aluminium foil and this makes a primary battery, so cannot be re-charged. The "fuel cell" in the Maplin case, will have so many activations, and then that's it.. New cell to buy. Now, if you had an aluminium boat... you could use that in an emergency to power your boat, for a limited time, before the aluminium wasted away and the boat sunk. lol. I'm not suggesting this as a solution though... lol. Now while you are reading this, just think about your boat... A similar galvanic cell is made with different metals in contact with water. Your anodes are designed to erode rather than props, rudders etc. The problem comes with outboard engines, Zinc is used as an anode, but in salt water, these can erode away rather quickly, so clearly doing a good job. Hope it helps, Richard

Buying Petrol on the Broads is another matter, some riverside fuel stations charge over 35p per litre over the normal road service station ones. No big deal if you only want 10-15 litres, ( can be £5 extra though).. but it can be quite stale, some over 18 months old. So I always blend it with supermarket fuel bought earlier that week, 50/50 into the main outboard tank, or add a fuel additive, which again adds extra cost and with messing around, is it worth it? So Tesco at Stalham, Morrisons in Norwich, and Roys at Caen Meadow near Wroxham for me. The fuel is fresh, at any time of the year. Richard

" Andrex" on a boat, Wow, that's pushing the boat out, I think for boat toilets you really need the thinner lower quality loo rolls, we tend to use the multipacks from "Home Bargains" . Ok ours is a porta potti type, but we have never had any problems with emptying it, and more importantly, when disposing of the contents using a standard loo. I know some pump out type toilets especially those with macerators can have a few issues, even if just using a lot more water to clear it, thus bringing the time to empty even closer, so cost and quality are not the overall deciding factor in your loo roll choice. Next, someone will say they use pink ones! OK if the loo is on the Port side lol, and green ones for the starboard side.lol. White for a forward loo...

So's ours, with some heat shrink tubing over the thread to reduce the filing action from the thread. Richard